Rotary motor or pump



May 17, 1966 J. E. DUGAN 3,251,308

ROTARY MOTOR OR PUMP 7 8 g y 3 1N V EN TOR.

70 JAMES @UGA/v Mm @VW Afro/@N57 May 17, 1966 J. E. DUGAN ROTARY MOTOR OR PUMP 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March l2, 1965 N M n yf m%%w n MM5 A f M 7% wi Z55/MV W w /AA/N 7. H -Hj md w my W *um I A from/fr May 17, 1966 J. E. DUGAN ROTARY MOTOR OR PUMP 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March l2, 1965 nnen Ol' JQMAS E @a6/W Gttorneg United States Patent Office 3,251,308 ROTARY MOTOR OR PUMP James E. Dugan, 222 W. 2nd St., Corning, N.Y. Filed Mar. 12, 1965, Ser. No. 439,195 7 Claims. (Cl. 10S-121) The present invention, which is a continuation-in-part of Dugan, application Serial No. 217,019, iiled August 15, 1962, now abandoned, relates to vane type uid pressure devices usable as motors and pumps or with suitable modification as internal combustion engines and is particularly concerned with the provision of a device in which the number of moving parts and their frictional engagement with respect to xed parts is reduced to an absolute minimum.

Fluid motors and pumps of this general class usually involve the use of springs or hydraulic uid and centrifugal forces in maintaining the vanes in sealing engagement with the chamber Wall surfaces, thus complicating their structure and creating friction between the parts that reduce their eiciency. Their widest use at present is for handling or Whose motive fluid is liquid, such for example as oil, and the uid pressure device of the present invention will be described in connection with such use. It will be understood, however, that the same is also applicable to uid pressure devices operating with elastic uids.

According to the invention, a rotary unit usable as a motor, or as a hydraulic pump, is provided that embodies only two moving parts comprisng a hub or stator with porting for intake and delivery having a slide passing transversely therethrough having vanes at its opposite ends cooperative with the surrounding bore walls of a rotor rotatable about such stator and embodying a plurality of chambers of an unequal number separated from one another by bearing surfaces on which the rotor revolves about the stator and which seals the chambers from one another as the vanes travel through such chambers to create the necessary pressure differentials therein to effect rotary movement or to pump uid as the case may be. Since the slide and vanes are in the stator, centrifugal forces have no effect and excessive friction otherwise caused by centrifugal action when the vanes are in the rotor and independently movable is avoided.

For a thorough understanding of the invention reference is made to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevationalview, partly in section, illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 2 2 of FIG. l illustrating a fluid in use therewith.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are views similar to FIG. 2 but showing the rotor and stator in different rotary positions with respect to one another.

FIG. 5 is an end view of FIG. 1, with cover 51 partly removed and the stator partly in section.

FIG. 6 is an edge view of the stator as -viewed by removing section 6--6 of the rotor or outer member.

FIG. 7 is a cross-section view taken on lines 7-7 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 is an end view on an enlarged scale with sections of the cover removed to better illustrate the desired contour of the working chambers and show how the corners of the vanes are removed to obtain a broader sealing surface.

Referring to the drawings lin detail, the numeral 10 designates a support to which is secured a stator 11 by means of a stub shaft 12 which may be integral with the stator, The stator 11 comprises a plaincylindrical body having suitable uid passages 21-25 therethrough closely adjacent to vanes later described and a transverse passage 26 terminating at opposite ends'in slots occupied by vanes 27 and 27a preferably, but not necessarily, rigidly connected to one another through the medium of a slide rod 28.

The stator 11 is confined within a rotor 20 whose bore bounding wall embodies bearing surfaces such as 19 that jointly with the stator divides and seals the unoccupied bore portions of the rotor into chambers 1'to 5, respectively.

As will be seen, the chambers when occupied by vanes 27 and 27a are further divided thereby into compartments; and the undulating contour of the rotor bore bounding wall surface is such that as the rotor revolves about the stator one vane will be entering a chamber while the other will be leaving the opposite chamber at an equal rate. This rate being equal to the total length across the vanes can be lxed to provide sealing without the excessive friction or drag as encountered in spring or hydraulic loading, and

`wherein additional undesirable centrifugal loading inherently also occurs.

The bottom surfaces such as 7 of chambers 1-5 are of a radii of curvature that equals the radius of the hub plus t-he depth of the chamber. This radius is also concentric to the radius of the hub.

The surfaces such as 6 and 8 of the chambers 1-4 are of a radii of curvature substantially equal to or preferably greater than the radius of the hub. These radii have centers on the opposite side of the vanes 27 and 27a which side is in contact with. the radii of surfaces 6 or 8. These surfaces 6 and 8 are preferably positioned so that the chord of the radii will form an angle to the vanes 27 and 27a which will remain substantially constant to the vane through its travel through the arc surfaces 6 and 8. This allows the corner of the vanes to be removed to obtain a broader sealingsurface which will be in continuous sealing contact with the surfaces 6 and 8.

The intersection point at' which surfaces 6 and 8 meet the radii of surface 7 should preferably be sharp with little or no blending. Blending of surfaces 6 and 8 fwith' 7 is not considered desirable. However, if blending is resorted to, compensation should be made either on the vanes which will reduce their sealing efHciency or on the opposite side of the rotor (see FIG. 8) which will also reduce efficiency by reducing bearing width and sealing efficiency.

The bearing surfaces such as-19between the respective chambers are of suicient width to provide an effective seal with the stator 11 to prevent lluid from directly bypassing from one chamber to another. This width should be greater than the width of the vanes 27 and 27a so that the bearing effect is never lost while -these surfaces pass over a vane (see FIG. 8, surface 19 and vane 27a).

End walls 50 and 51 enclose the outer margins of the stator to effect the necessary lateral end closures of the chambers 1-5 and seals for the lateral margins of the vanes 27 and 27a.

The passages 21, 22, 24, and 25 are located as close to the vanes as practical, their ends at the circumference `of the stator are .expanded or countersunk into the line of travel of the vanes so that all iiuid can be readily expelled without any being trapped. FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate the preferred method of accomplishing this.

If the unit is to be used as a motor passage 23 is embodied in the stator and is connected with passage 24. When this is done the Width of the openings 23 and 24 along the circumference of the stator should be less than the width of the bearing surfaces 19 so that fluid cannot bypass into more than one intended chamber when the rotor is at or near the position illustrated in FIG. 3.

Operation as a motor When the unit is operated as a motor, fluid under suitable pressure is supplied to passage 22, as by means of a Patented May 17, 1966- tube 32, and enters chamber 1, forcing the rotor 20 to rotate clockwise away from vane 27, as indicated. When `the rotor attains the position illustrated in FIG. 3, the passage 23 becomes available to chamber 4 via a U-tube 40 connecting the ends 40a and 40h 'of passages 23 and 24, respectively. Were passage 23 not provided the fluid forces Would equalize in chamber 1 and the rotor would come to a stop. With the path provided pressure in chamber- 1 is released to chamber 4 to give added rotary thrust to the rotor.

Referring to FIG. 6, the passage 23 'illustrated as a slot has a volume equal to or preferably greater than the volume of the passage 22 so as to readily relieve this pressure to passage 24 without braking effect to the momentum of the rotor. Likewise, the complete passage through 23, the U-tube, and passage 24 is preferably greater in volume than the volume of passage 22. The exhaust end of passage 22 has been made wide enough so the uid supply can never be closed off when a bearing surface 19 passes over this passage end, as illustrated for example in FG. wherein as will be seen the opening of passage 22 exceeds the width of bearing surface 19.

Chamber 4 having been brought into position to receive the iiuid from passage 24, fluid is forced thereinto to rotate the rotor 20 further clockwise away from vane 27a to the position illustrated in FIG. 4. In such position the uid supply to chamber 4 is cut off from passage 24 as a bearing surface 19 of the rotor passes over the port end of passage 22 and connects the chamber 2 with the passage 22 so that iiuid now supplied to chamber 2 forces a further rotation of the rotor 20.

When chamber 1 attains approximately the same position as chamber 4 in FIG. 3 spent fluid which entered chamber 1 is expelled through passage 25 and tube 41 as rotation of `the rotor continues. Likewise, spent uid in chamber 4 will be expelled through passage 21 and tube 42 by vane 27 as the rotation of the rotor continues as indicated in FIG. 2.

Operation as a pump When the unit is to be operated as a pumpthe U-tube 40 is removed and the passage 23 is blocked, or omitted, as in FIG. 8, or by substituting a plug for the U-tube connection thereto, and an external power source is applied as by drive belts to the V-grooves 29.

Assuming the rotor 20 to be driven clockwise, the ends of the passages 22 and 24 serve as suction or intake ports and the ends of passages 25 and 21 serve as iiuid delivery ports. Again referring to FIG. 2, as chamber 1 passes overvane 27, a suction is created which picks up tiuid through the end Iof passage 22 filling this chamber from a fluid supply source connected to pipe 32. The passage 23 having been omitted or its effect having been nulliiied, as above explained, chamber 1 holds its charge until it attains approximately the position of chamber 4 in FIG. 3 where the fluid is delivered therefrom through the end of passage 25 and tube 41 as the chamber passes over vane 27a. Likewise, chamber 4 is being iilled in FIG. 3 through the end of passage 24 from a fluid supply source When suction is created in such chamber as it passes over the port of such passage. Chamber 4 subsequently delivers its contents through passage 21.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that a very simple unit has been provided -that is readily usable as either a pump or as a motor.

What is claimed is:

1. A fluid unit comprising rotor and stator elements, one of said elements having a bore therethrough embodying a circular row of chambers having openings closed by the other of said elements said other elements having a transverse passage therethrough terminating at opposite ends in slots, a slide occupying said passage provided with vanes occupying said slots and in continuous engagement with oppositely facing bore bordering wall surfaces of said one element dividing at least one of the chambers thereof into two compartments, said other ele- -ment having a passage therethrough connecting two diametrically otiset said chambers whereby iiuid is made available to impart added rotary thrust to the rotor just before the one chamber would otherwise become substantially filled with a static fluid charge.

2. ln a fluid assembly inner and outer units comprising a stator and a rotor, respectively, the outer unit having a plurality of chambers having arcuate bottom and adjoining relatively long arcuate side walls wherein the bottom walls have radii of curvature equal to the radius of the stator plus the depth of the chamber and the curvature of the side walls have centers laterally disposed from the lstator center and within the area occupied by the stator.

3. A fluid operated assembly comprising a rigidly supported stator of cylindrical form surrounding said stator, a rotor having live chambers formed therein by separating partitions with arcuate surfaces slidably engaging the stator, said stator having a slide passing transversely therethrough and whose opposite ends are continuously in engagement successively with surfaces of said rotor defining the chambers therein and such arcuate surfaces, respectively, and said rotor and stator having common end plates, said stator having iluid passages with ends opening through its periphery into chambers of said rotor, said stator also having an additional passage therethrough maintaining communication between two chambers diametrically offset from each other.

4. An assembly as in claim 3, wherein the slide rod is of a iixed length.

5. An assembly as in claim 3, wherein arcuate surfaces of the chamber walls are of varied radius of curvature.

6. An assembly as in claim 3, wherein the chambers have arcuate surface areas concentric to the arcuate surface area of such partitions.

7. An assembly as in claim 6, wherein the chambers have bottoms whose radii are of a curvature substantially equal to the radius of the stator plus the depth of a chamber.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS SAMUEL LEVINE, Primary Examiner.

DONLEY J. STOCKING, Examiner.

R. M. VARGO, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A FLUID UNIT COMPRISING ROTOR AND STATOR ELEMENTS, ONE OF SAID ELEMENTS HAVING A BORE THERETHROUGH EMBODYING A CIRCULAR ROW OF CHAMBERS HAVING OPENINGS CLOSED BY THE OTHER OF SAID ELEMENTS SAID OTHER ELEMENTS HAVING A TRANSVERSE PASSAGE THERETHROUGH TERMINATING AT OPPOSITE ENDS IN SLOTS, A SLIDE OCCUPYING SAID PASSAGE PROVIDED WITH VANES OCCUPYING SAID SLOTS AND IN CONTINUOUS ENGAGEMENT WITH OPPOSITELY FACING BORE BORDERING WALL SURFACES OF SAID ONE ELEMENT DIVIDING AT LEAST ONE OF THE CHAMBERS THEREOF INTO TWO COMPARTMENTS, SAID OTHER ELEMENT HAVING A PASSAGE THERETHROUGH CONNECTING TWO DIAMETRICALLY OFFSET SAID CHAMBERS WHEREBY FLUID IS MADE AVAILABLE TO IMPART ADDED ROTARY THRUST TO THE ROTOR JUST BEFORE THE ONE CHAMBER WOULD OTHERWISE BECOME SUBSTANTIALLY FILLED WITH A STATIC FLUID CHARGE. 